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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "im running late" in Japanese?
遅れそうだ
okure souda
In Japanese, "im running late" is 遅れそうだ (okure souda).
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Pronunciation
Say oh-KOO-reh soh-dah, with okure's rolled R giving a slight urgency, like feet hurrying.
Writing and usage
遅れそうだ is written using kanji. It's a phrase, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
im running late
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How to remember 遅れそうだ
Okure sounds like 'oh, cure' — picture needing a magic cure to stop being late every single time.
Related words
- what day is it today 今日は何日だ konnichiha nannichi da
- see you tomorrow また明日 mata ashita
- see you next week また来週お会いしましょう mata raishuu o ai shimashou
- im on time 時間通りに着いています jikan touri ni tsui teimasu
- lets meet at noon 正午に会おう shougo ni ao u
- can we reschedule 予定を変更してもいいですか yotei wo henkou shitemoiidesuka
- i have a meeting 会議があるんだ kaigi gaarunda
- i am busy right now 今は忙しいんだ ima ha isogashii nda
- do you have a minute ちょっといいかな chottoiikana
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 遅れそうだ
How do you pronounce 遅れそうだ?
Say oh-KOO-reh soh-dah, with okure's rolled R giving a slight urgency, like feet hurrying.
Is 遅れそうだ formal or casual?
遅れそうだ is a common everyday expression. Context and tone of voice matter more than the words themselves for how formal it sounds.
How is 遅れそうだ written in Japanese?
遅れそうだ is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as okure souda.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Im running late" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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